Retrograde
by Otomefeels
Summary: A Jane Doe is found killed and the method is strikingly familiar to that of a notorious serial killer. Tennoji and Wood, who recently transferred from another unit, is put on the case. Not only do they find a grim discovery, but they are left to question more than just themselves. {Please tell me what you think!}
1. Chapter 1

_This city's always moving,  
Nothing stays still.  
Somebody's always leaving,  
Somebody always will_ \- Jamie Lawson

''Yo, Wood!''

I was barely inside the room and Tennoji was already yelling, causing a slight frown on my face. I usually had coffee in my system before I arrived at work, but I had overslept. Nevertheless, I quickly located the redhead next to the whiteboard, much to my dismay.

''No reason to look like you're about to bite my head off.'' He grinned, obviously amused by the annoyance in my expression.

''She probably hasn't had any coffee yet, so pipe down Tennoji.'' Hanai spoke up from his desk where he was already buried in case files and paperwork.

''There's freshly made coffee in the breakroom, Wood.'' Eiki joined the conversation with what I considered the most important information.

''Oh dear lord, thank you, Eiki.'' I smiled and quickly dumped my bags on my desk next to Tennoji's before heading to the break room.

I could smell the scent of coffee as I got closer and I was already looking forwards to properly wake up and begin the day. Especially since I had noticed the two numbers on the whiteboard being the same, meaning that Tennoji had closed another case after I went home last night. I couldn't even call him a workaholic and get some satisfaction out of claiming to have a social life when it was the first night since I had transferred two months ago, where I had gone home first. Nevertheless, it meant that we were now tied.

A small huff escaped me as I opened the cabinet, looking for my favorite mug, and I briefly ran over the possible cases I could snatch for an easy win. While I hated looking at his smug grin, it was strangely attractive. Well, _he_ was strangely attractive. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I was attracted to the cocky detective but the fact that everything turned into a competition between us usually let me ignore those thoughts that concerned his looks. Another frown appeared on my face when I couldn't locate my mug and I had to settle for another, plain white one. Even without being drunk from my favorite mug, the coffee brought me to life almost immediately and I took another quick sip, feeling it burn my tongue before I walked back out the breakroom and approached my desk.

I sat down and closed my eyes, allowing myself to simply enjoy another sip of coffee in peace, but it was short lived.

''You must be pretty scary in the morning.'' Tennoji spoke as he sat down on the edge of my desk, completely ignoring my usual requests of not doing it.

''I just need my coffee.'' I spoke and looked up at him.

''Yeah? Doesn't make you sound like a workaholic at all.''

''Having an unhealthy obsession with coffee has absolutely nothing to do with being a workaholic.''

''Uh-huh, you keep telling yourself that. Either way, I'm guessing that you saw the numbers on your way in?'' He smiled in triumph.

''Yes. Congratulations of catching up to me. I was beginning to feel sorry for you.'' I returned the smile and watched his expression turn sour.

''You're pretty cocky for someone who's about to lose.''

''You seem to forget that there's still two weeks left before the competition ends.'' I reminded him and leaned back in my chair, turning so I sat with my front towards him and crossed my right leg over my left. ''You still need to choose something in case you win, which you won't, of course.''

''I'm taking my time to think of something good, don't you worry about that.'' He scoffed.

''Yeah? Well, I'm looking forwards to have you bring me coffee each morning for six months.'' I tilted my head slightly to the side and did my best smile.

''As if that'll ever-''

''Wood, Tennoji, I need to talk to you two.'' Kirisawa interrupted and we both looked up, finding him standing in the doorway of his office.

We glanced at each other before getting up and following Kirisawa inside, Tennoji closing the door behind us. Tennoji stood next to me as we both waited for Kirisawa to speak. He had sat down at his desk and his expression seemed more grave than usual. As horrible as it might be, I was actually getting excited to know exactly what type of crime would have him look like that. My pulse quickened slightly as we waited and I had to swallow when he finally looked at me.

''There's been a murder.'' His eyebrows furrowed as he spoke and his glance flew to the thin case file on his desk. ''The victim hasn't been identified yet, but we found her in an abandoned apartment building by the harbor. As things are now, the cause of death is believed to be by strangulation. The assailant used his hands to strangle her.''

A chill ran down my spine.

''Wood, your specialty was murder cases back in your previous division, so choosing you is obviously my best option. Tennoji, you're currently your number one case closer although you haven't had many murder cases that weren't gang related, but I think that you would still be a valuable asset in this. Nonetheless, Wood will be the one in charge.''

''But-'' Tennoji instantly tried to complain, but the chief cut him off immediately.

''No complaining, Tennoji. Wood has more experience in this field than you, but I still expect you to work together as a team. Understood?''

We both nodded, Tennoji rather reluctantly, and Kirisawa let out a sigh.

''Alright. Here's the file. There's not much and I would suggest that you head out to the crime scene. There should still be some technicians working there.'' He stood and handed me the case file.

''Understood, we'll go right now.'' I spoke as I accepted it, glancing at Tennoji before I began leaving the room.

We both went to our desks and gathered what we needed to head out. I automatically assumed that he would be driving. It gave me time to look over the file and gather what little knowledge there was before we arrived at the crime scene. I glanced up in time to see him find his car keys, but I noticed something else on his desk.

I nearly spoke up, but I knew it had to wait until we were at least outside, so I kept my mouth shut. I didn't stop myself from frowning though and quickly headed towards the door, hearing him having to take e few hasty steps before he could catch up to me. I held the file in my hand as we walked in silence, not speaking until we were down in the parking basement.

''So you're the one who took my mug.'' I spoke up as we approached his car, my tone obviously not happy.

''Mug?'' He looked at me with a puzzled expression while I continued to the passenger side of the car. ''The blue one?''

''Which else?'' I grumbled as he unlocked the car and we both got in.

''It was the only clean one last night.''

''Only because I cleaned it before I went home!'' I groaned and put on my seatbelt. Then I realized something. ''Wait, how long were you working last night?'' I asked him and looked at him, meeting his eyes.

He quickly looked away and started the car while some color crept into his cheeks.

''Not very late…'' He gave me a vague answer and began to drive.

''Look, I know it's a fun competition and all-'' I started, but he quickly cut me off.

''No, I didn't stay behind because of that… I've been hunting that guy for a year. His trail usually goes cold after a couple of weeks and he's real scum. He sold drugs to some kids and one of them overdosed on the crap…'' He fell silent and the look on his face had me quietly staring at him.

''You know, you might be cocky and a loudmouth, but you're a good detective.'' I spoke as I removed my eyes from his profile, focusing on the case file instead.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the color in his cheeks intensify but neither of us said a word. We drove in silence and I occupied myself with reading through the vague file. Besides from the supposed killing method, there really wasn't much information yet and there wouldn't be much before the autopsy was finished and the victim had been identified. I walked into the crime scene with mixed emotions. Sure, I had had cases that had seemed more hopeless than this, but something about it already seemed off to me but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

''Alright, let's see if we can paint a picture of what happened.'' I spoke and looked at him, waiting for him to nod before we entered the apartment on the second floor.

Sure enough, technicians were still processing the scene but I quickly found something quite unexpected.

The body was still there.

''Hey, why is the body still here?'' Tennoji asked a passing technician while I moved closer to the body.

''The mortician is sick and the other is on another call. We're waiting for a substitute to come and pick it up.'' The technician explained before continuing taking pictures.

I found my notebook and pen while my eyes quickly scanned the woman. She looked somewhere in her late twenties or early thirties and was dressed in a black cocktail dress and wore a pair of black, high-heeled shoes. She lay on her back with her limbs sprawled out on the discolored linoleum floor. I kneeled next to her and focused on her face, scribbling down my observations. The expression on her face was familiar, but it still made my blood turn cold. You could still see the fear in her eyes and it would be etched in them until they were gone. The bruises on her neck confirmed the strangulation theory and they showed how much force the culprit had used. It wasn't exactly easy to strangle someone with your bare hands and it usually indicated that it was personal or that the culprit was enraged. Her mouth was slightly ajar, but there wasn't anything unusual.

Standing back up, I continued to write down a few things but stopped when I noticed Tennoji approaching me.

''I asked around and took a look outside. There's no other way in than the front door but since it's due to be torn down, there's no security camera outside. It rained this night and there's a dry mark on the ground that fits the size of a car.''

''it rained until seven this morning and she's been for…'' I glanced at her again, ''I would guess eight, maybe ten hours.''

''So he stayed here?''

''Either here or in his car, if that mark on the ground is indeed from his car. Did you find a bag?''

''No, why?''

''She's wearing a cocktail dress so she wouldn't have any pockets besides those in her jacket, which is also missing, so she wouldn't go anywhere without a bag or a purse.''

''He could have taken it to make it harder to identify her.''

''Yeah, probably.'' I hummed just as my cell phone rang.

We both checked the screen as I had fished it from my pocket.

''It's the chief.''

''Your reading classes are coming along nicely, huh?'' I smirked and watched him frown as I slid my finger across the screen to answer. ''It's Wood.''

He watched me intensively as he waited for me to finish and tell him whatever it was Kirisawa had called me about. Lucky for him, it was short, but it was important for the investigation.

''We'll head there now. Bye.'' I spoke and hung up before looking at him. ''A woman matching the victim's description has just been reported missing. We should visit the woman who filed the report.''

''Sounds good.''

We arrived at a small house in the other end of the city thirty minutes later. The street was quiet as we stepped out of the car and we both looked around out of habit. It seemed like a calm neighborhood with nearly identical houses lined up on each side of the street. I checked the number on the mailbox to make sure before we ventured past the hedge and followed the path up to the front door. He rang the doorbell and then we waited.

I had never liked this part of the job…

The woman who opened the door strongly resembled the one I had just been taking notes about and the look on her face was chaotic and familiar. We presented ourselves and showed our badges before being invited inside. Tennoji quickly began asking her questions about her missing sister, Yuna, and I took a look around.

''When did you last see her?'' I asked, entering the conversation.

''Three days ago. I've been on a business trip for the last couple of days, but she wasn't here when I got home this morning. She would have called me by now, she always does.'' She spoke and her voice shook as she explained.

''Do you know where she could have gone?'' Tennoji asked.

I knew he was digging for more information about the victim. It was crucial to know about their plans when the culprit could be part of them.

''No. She never mentioned going anywhere to me. She doesn't go out much… practically married to her job, you know the type.'' She laughed and for a second, I felt him glance in my direction.

''May I see her room?'' I asked.

She looked at me, hesitating, but she eventually nodded and gestured towards the hallway behind her.

''It's the third door on the right.''

''Thank you.''

Tennoji stayed with her as I found the room and carefully entered. The room was cluttered with books, paperwork, used dishes, and clothes. It looked like she had gone through her whole closet, judging by a number of clothes on the bed and floor. Other than the mess, it looked normal. I spotted a laptop, which was turned off, and a small calendar full of scribbles next to it. The calendar caught my attention and I quickly used a pen to flip through a few pages.

''Definitively a workaholic…'' I mumbled to myself as I noticed the many entries concerning meetings, work appointments and whenever she had done overtime. I flipped it back to the page that it had been left open on. The page belonged to yesterday's date and a heart had been drawn around the number. Beneath it was a time and the name ''The Little Blue''. I found my phone and began searching for the name when I heard a loud sob coming from the hallway.

''I'm sorry, but it was just confirmed…'' He sounded awkward and I tried to picture him consoling the woman.

I fought a smile when I figured that he probably wasn't very good at it and I scolded myself mentally for being so inappropriate. I glanced around for the room again, this time noticing a bouquet of white roses that didn't have much life left in them.

''Huh… white's an odd choice…'' I breathed before leaving the room, joining Tennoji and the woman in the hallway again. ''I'm sorry for asking you this, but do you know of The Little Blue?''

She was fanatically trying to dry her eyes but she was losing the battle quickly and her voice had already turned thick.

''I-uh, no, never heard of it. I'm sorry, I can't even help you.'' She let out a sob.

''It's alright. You should come down to the station with us. I only have a few questions and then we'll just talk for a bit, okay?'' I smiled as she sniffled and nodded. ''Let's go then.''

''The Little Blue is a sushi restaurant located down in the center of Tokyo.''

The sudden voice startled me and effectively pulled me out of my trail of thought. My glance flew up to whoever had spoken and I let go of my breath when I saw who it was.

''Honestly, you really shouldn't sneak up on people like that.'' I leaned back on my chair and listened to it creak as I moved. ''What time is it?''

''It's nearly ten… and I wasn't sneaking, you were just spaced out.'' He spoke as he sat down on my desk, avoiding sitting on the photographs of the crime scene. ''I thought you would have left earlier.''

''Yeah, well… I was planning to, but this,'' I gestured to the mess on my desk, ''something is off…'' I crossed my arms over my chest as I began to chew on my lip for a moment. ''Her hyoid was fractured and the guy used his bare hands… not only does that take strength, but it's a very personal way of killing someone. You literally watch them die by your hands…''

''He probably knew her then, or maybe he had stalked her for a while.'' He joined my speculations as his glance fell down on the stack of photos.

''Mhmm… I don't think that she knew him. I found her calendar and checked a few pages. She was very detailed, but the page for last night only had a heart around the date, a location and what time she had to be there. Considering how detailed she seemed, it's out of place.''

''Was there anything else in her room?'' He glanced up at me and our eyes met.

''There was a laptop. We should get the technicians to bring here. Other than that, there really wasn't…'' my voice trailed off as my eyes fell to the pictures. I scanned through them, searching for _something_ that could help us. The autopsy hadn't provided us with any clues and the investigation was beginning to look bleak.

''You seem alike…''

''Who?'' I looked up at him again.

''You and the victim… based on some of the things her sister told us, plus you're both workaholics.'' He grinned at me and I frowned at him.

''You're a horrible person… I'm not that bad.'' I grumbled.

''Really? Then you aren't totally planning on bringing this file home with you?'' He asked and nodded towards the mess on my desk. I stared at him in disbelief and it prompted yet another grin to appear on his face. ''You've photocopied all the pictures because you can't bring the original one's home.''

''Well, looks who's being all smart and proud.''

''Shut up… also, I would be nice to me if I were you.''

''Why?'' I asked with a smile as I stood up, beginning to gather the photos.

''Because your last train just left the station and I'm currently the only one here who can give you a ride home.'' I could hear the triumph in his voice and when I looked at him, I found him wearing that exact grin that I loved and hated at the same time.

I felt my mouth go dry as I looked at him and I continuously reminded myself, that I was absolutely not allowed to crush on him. But, when he looked at me like that, he was making it _very_ hard.

''Do I really have to beg?'' I sighed and shot him a look of defeat.

''Buy me a meal at the diner and we are even.''

''Food? You're thinking about food now?'' I sighed and gathered my things and bag before following him to the door.

''What? I'm hungry and it's on the way.'' He frowned.

''Fine! But if you don't start exercising, you're going to get fat.'' I sighed in an exaggerated manner and passed him. ''I swear, you're always thinking about food.'' I grinned as he closed the door behind us and walked with me.

''You're seriously jeopardizing your ride right now.'' He shook his head at me and our eyes met.

Yeah, I definitively wasn't allowed to crush on him…

 _Take all of the love you're given  
Through the gap in the wall  
Seal it tight with light blue ribbon  
Then unlock the door  
But your ego won't let you love  
And your fear is your downfall  
If you won't take the love you're given  
Then at least let me go_ – Jack Garratt

''Hey, can I ask you something?''

''Mhmm?'' He mumbled before stuffing his face with pancakes.

I studied him as he ate and I took a sip of my coffee. Of course, he would order pancakes and then proceed to stuff his face with them as if he was in a hurry. Fighting a smile, I sat the mug down and brushed a few stray curls behind my ear.

''Why did you become a detective?''

My question momentarily stopped his feast and he simply looked at me for a few second before continuing chewing. He leaned back and I watched as the look in his eyes changed for a brief second. I knew he was damn good at his job despite having highly doubted him in the beginning. With his temperamental and goofy personality, I couldn't picture him being any good, but that lasted until I saw him in action. He was like a force of nature and his eyes held a look of determination that I had never seen before. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't impressed that very second. Then, after seeing him like that, his demeanor seemed to change, or at least my opinion about it did. He was exceptionally good at being somewhere between annoying, sweet and temperamental at the same time. Maybe it was because of his stupid discussions with Hanai or the fact that everything turned into a competition between us, but whenever he showed me that stupid grin, I couldn't be mad at him.

''Why? Why do you wanna know?'' He leaned in the table and proceeded to stare at me suspiciously while pointing at me with his fork.

''You're really going to be pointing at me with your fork?'' I laughed and gave him a soft kick beneath the table. The fork was dropped and he cursed beneath his breath despite it basically just being a nudge. ''You're so dramatic.'' I laughed.

''You don't fucking kick people when they're eating.''

''Technically, you had swallowed, so you weren't eating that very second.''

''You're impossible.'' He chuckled and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. ''If I tell you, you've got to tell me the same about you.''

''Fair enough.'' I shrugged.

''Aw fuck, I'm going to sound so sappy…'' He sighed and let his head fell back against the wall for a second before switching positions, leaning in over the table while he rested his head in the palm of his right hand. ''Look, I made up my mind and decided that I wanted to protect people. It's as simple as that.''

''Sounds like something you would say.'' I smiled.

''Yeah well…'' He looked away.

''My dad was a detective.'' I spoke calmly and his attention quickly returned to me, but the look in his eyes was different. ''Oh don't look at me like that, he's not dead.'' I smiled and watched as he seemed to relax again. ''He retired a couple of years ago, but his work really fascinated me since I was a kid. Probably the whole 'bringing people to justice' stuff' caught my attention.''

''Was he creepily into murders like you?'' He smirked and I nearly kicked him again.

''I'm not creepy about it and no, my dad was in narcotics.''

''You are a little creepy about it.''

''Am not, you ass. I have my reasons for preferring it.''

''Yeah? And what are those?''

I stared at him for a bit and chewed on my lip, hesitating whether I should tell him.

''Come on, Wood.'' He leaned closer to me and I exhaled through my nose as he smiled at me.

''Fine.'' His smile turned into one of triumph and I couldn't help but think what a giant dork he was. ''The first chief I worked under told me about this serial killer he had been chasing for twenty-five years. He started back in 1965 but vanished in 1990 and there's never been any letter or anything from him. He used to write the police and taunt them while he also told them about himself, but it was never enough to catch him. The chief was shot in the line of duty so I switched to handling murders because I kept thinking that the guy might show up again.''

''I've never heard of a serial killer that wasn't caught in this precinct.'' He commented before impaling the last piece of his pancake on the fork.

''They never caught him and many of those who worked on the case didn't want to talk about it or have retired. I've always thought it was interesting, especially because the evidence is so limited. He never left any behind.'' I spoke while watching him eat the last piece.

''Even with that story and all, you're still a little creepy. You probably have that file laying around somewhere at home.'' He spoke while he was still chewing.

''You should be nicer to your supervisor.'' I smirked and watched as he nearly choked.

''like hell you are.'' He coughed.

''I'm the leader of this case so while we're both working on it, I'm a little above you.'' My smirk grew as I watched him process the information.

''Fuck that. It doesn't change anything.'' He grumbled.

''You're so horrible when it comes to things like this.'' I laughed.

''Like you're any better… why don't you go home and start chasing that killer you're so obsessed with?'' He acted like an angry five-year-old and let out an audible sigh.

''At least I have a goal! Do you know how amazing it would be to catch the guy who-'' I stopped speaking instantly and stared at him.

''What?'' His tone had changed to a much more serious one and his eyes scanned my face for any changes.

''We have to leave.'' I spoke quickly and stood up. ''Right now!'' I raised my voice while I found my purse. I left enough money to pay for the meal before I grabbed my bag and nearly jumped out of the booth.

The American-styled diner was nearly empty, but the few other diners and the waiter quickly glanced in our direction. Without questioning it, he quickly followed suit and grabbed his jacket. We nearly ran to his car and he turned the key before I even had my seatbelt on.

''Mind telling me what the hell is going on with you?'' He spoke quickly, his accent thick due to agitation.

''We have to go back to the victims house, right now!'' My mind was racing in different directions as I tried to piece what little there was together.

''It's eleven on a Monday night, we can't go there now, you idiot!'' He raised his voice slightly and kept his eyes on the road.

''Fuck! Then-I, we…'' My words clustered together and he let out a groan in annoyance.

''Wood! Get a fucking grip and tell me what's happening!''

''I'm… I'm not sure..'' I hesitated.

''Wood!'' He yelled my name and I responded in panic.

''I think it's him! I think it's the same killer!'' I yelled just as he slammed the brakes.

I hadn't even noticed that he had barely avoided running a red light.

''Are you sure?'' He looked straight at me and I had to take a breath when I saw how serious the look in his eyes was.

''Not a 100%… but I know that case down to the details and there're a lot of things that are very similar. It could be him or maybe a copycat.'' I explained as he looked back at the road and the car accelerated again. ''I have the file at home.''

''Show it to me.'' He glanced at me and I nodded.

The rest of the ride wasn't long, but it was spent in silence. He concentrated on driving and I flipped through the copy I had brought of Ayane Yuna's file, but I already knew everything in it. I was about to let out a frustrated groan when I noticed where we were. Nearly jumping out of the car before it stood still, I hurried out and searched my pockets for my keys. Tennoji slammed the car door behind me and quickly caught up to me just as I opened the door. We hurried up the stairs to the second floor, where he then followed me to the right door. Another locked clicked as it was unlocked and I had to stop myself from simply throwing the door open.

''Just forget about the mess.'' I spoke as I dropped my bag next the door and hurried through the small hallway.

The place wasn't that small. The living room, kitchen and dining area was in the same room, but it was a nice size so it didn't feel cramped, and it lay at the end of the hallway. A door on the right led to the bathroom and a door opposite of it led to my bedroom. In that moment, I was relieved that I had closed the door to my bedroom that morning. It was enough that he would see how cluttered the coffee and dining table was, he didn't need to see how messy my bedroom was.

My face warmed up as he followed me inside the living room and I hoped that he wouldn't comment on it.

''You're a lot messier than I had expected.''

The heat in my cheeks intensified. Of course, he would comment on it.

''I've been busy lately.'' I grumbled, ignoring the dumb smirk on his face, and went straight to the coffee table.

''Suuuuure.''

I rolled my eyes briefly before looking through the stack of papers, easily finding the one which looked much older than the others. I gathered the rest into a pile and moved them to the dinner table while Tennoji sat down on the couch and took up as much space as he possibly could. I stared at him and the way he basically displayed himself as he lounged on the corner of the couch and had his arms thrown over the side and the back.

''Well, you look comfortable.'' I commented before joining him and dropped the case file on the coffee table. ''Look.'' I flipped it open and stood up, leaning in over the table so I could spread out the copies of old, discolored pictures from the crime scenes, the list of evidence and copies of the letters. I flipped through the pictures and pieces of paper, searching for the ones I needed to prove my theory.

I presented my case while showing him the different pictures as I explained them. How the killing method was exactly the same, that seven women had been killed by the same unidentified suspect, the letters and how those women had also been brought to remote locations. For once, he stayed quiet. His eyes went to where I pointed, followed my glance and flickered to me every once in a while. I found the profile, mentioning the assumed age, which was set to be twenty-five when he started, personality, job and so on. But, the most important thing was something I had noticed back in the diner.

It was subtle enough for me not to notice despite it being right in front of my nose, but once I realized it, everything seemed to fall into place. I just needed the pictures to compare…

''Here…'' I mumbled, placing the pictures from the old files on top of the file before I arranged them so they lay correctly. ''Notice anything?'' I looked at him with anticipation as his eyes scanned the different pictures.

''They're all pictures of the victims' rooms.'' He frowned slightly, knowing that there had to be more to it. His eyes narrowed as he studied it, glance flickering between the different pictures. It took him another moment before his eyes widened. ''They all have a bouquet of white flowers…''

''White roses… he would send them a bouquet of white roses with a card that gave them a location, what time and the sentence, ''I'm thinking of you'' on it. He posed as a secret admirer and lured his preferred type of women with it. This detail was never shared with the public, so no one could have known about this.'' I explained as I arranged the pictures, focusing on the white roses.

''Look, that's fine and all, but you know it isn't-''

''There was a bouquet of white roses in Ayane Yuna's room.''

I cut him off and he fell silent.

''Look, I know this might be farfetched but from what her sister told us, Ayane matched the killers preferences. She was single, lived in the outskirts of the city, her work was her life and her social life was at a minimum, leaving the possibility that she was lonely. She was also killed in the same manner as those seven women.''

''Did you see the card?''

''No. I didn't think about it, but the flowers had been there for at least a week. It could give us a timeline or-''

''Wood.''

I stopped speaking and looked at him. His eyes lingered on the photographs for another moment before slowly moving to me.

''As things are now, we're not sharing this theory with anyone. There's no solid evidence. The flowers could be a coincidence, especially because you didn't see a card and because of what you said yourself, no one outside of the investigation knows about this.''

''You know what that means, right? It's either a detective who worked on the case, the killer is active again, or he has an apprentice.''

''Neither of those possibilities are good and could quickly cause a panic.'' We both went Silent for a moment. ''I'm not saying this isn't a theory we should consider but no matter what, we can't do anything about it before tomorrow when the technicians process Ayane's room and before we have any solid evidence, it stays between us.''

I nodded and looked down, glancing at the photographs I had already studied at least a hundred times.

''Get some sleep, Wood. It's late.'' He spoke as he stood up from the couch. ''We can't do anything about it before tomorrow, so don't keep yourself up all night.''

''Oh come on, I'm not that bad.'' I sighed as I stood, following him into the hallway.

''Honestly, I don't believe you one bit.'' He smirked at me and opened the door.

''You're horrible…'' I frowned, but it only lasted for a few seconds, then I broke into a small smile.

''Nah, you like me, no reason to lie about it.'' He grinned and stepped outside. ''I'm serious, though, get some sleep.''

''Yeah, well, likewise… I'll see you in the morning.'' I spoke while he began to walk, quickly moving down the stairs.

He raised a hand before he vanished from my sight, but I could hear him continuing down the stairs. The door opened and then slammed shut, echoing up through the stairwell. As he had foreseen, my mind was itching with thoughts and theories as I closed the door, but I did my best to shut them out. He was right, I suddenly felt exhausted. Everything seemed to be on the brink of collapsing and I wasn't quite sure what to do if it did. Nevertheless, I quickly got ready for bed and as soon as I lay down, my exhaustion did the trick and I went out like a light.


	2. Chapter 2

_Sheltered, you better keep the wolf back from the door  
He wanders ever closer every night  
And how he waits, baying for blood  
I promised you everything would be fine_

Been wondering for days  
How you felt me slip your mind  
Leave behind your wanton ways  
I want to learn to love in kind  
'Cause You were all I ever longed for

– Mumford & Sons.

I was positively anxious.

Tennoji seemed as calm as ever, well, as calm as he could be given his personality. Nevertheless, he was definitively calmer than me. I kept getting lost on thought at the office and as soon as Hanai seemed to be suspicious, especially because the rest of the squad hadn't been informed about our case, Tennoji had quickly dragged me out of the office. The following conversation, which rapidly turned into a slight argument, was cut short by a phone call. Much to my relief, they were finally sending the crime scene investigators to the crime scene and our presence was expected.

''That only took them two hours.'' He sighed as I hung up, hopefully channeling his frustration with me onto them.

''Well, you know them. Their procedures are a bitch to work out and they have to get clearance for everything.'' I spoke as we got in the car. ''Honestly, I'm a little surprised that we're even allowed at the crime scene while they're processing it. I've rarely seen them work, it's quite interesting to watch.'' I hummed as the car was brought to life.

''I didn't know you like to watch.''

''Well,'' I started and glanced at him, immediately noticing the god-awful smug grin on his face and I groaned, ''seriously, Tennoji!'' I punched his shoulder as an attempt to stop that proud look on his face.

The look really suited him, though…

''Fuck, you make it so easy to mess with you.'' He laughed as we pulled out of the parking garage.

''You're just fucking immature.'' I smiled before exhaling heavily. ''Seriously, though, I'll get a grip when we get there… This is… If it's the same killer or an apprentice… I can't fuck this up. Not just because of my old chief because it's… it's…'' I wasn't sure how to finish my sentence, but he didn't give me time to it anyways.

''You don't have to explain it, I get it… plus you sound so sappy, don't embarrass yourself.''

I glanced at him and expected to see that specific grin on his face, but it was only half-hearted. I didn't comment on it and allowed myself to imagine, that maybe he understood. I hadn't given it much thought, but he seemed a bit like me at that point. The look he usually had in his eyes had to be there because of something, some reason or someone. At least, that's what I chose to believe in that moment.

A silence fell between us as we approached the end of the city. It was a pleasant silence and I watched the streets passing as I rethought everything. It had to be connected, my gut feeling told me that much, but I knew I needed evidence before I could do anything.

''We're here…'' He murmured next to me and I looked up.

Sure enough, several cars were parked outside and people were bringing several cases from cars inside. We each took a deep breath and glanced at each other before stepping out. I admired the CSI. They did the dirty work and delivered the results to the rest of us, usually without complaint, and they stayed professional. Unlike a certain redhead at times…

We introduced ourselves, receiving a pair of questioning looks from a few, clearly wondering why we were there before they had finished, and it was obvious that they expected, that we wouldn't get in their way. I did my best to seem calm when in reality; I was itching to get back inside the bedroom. All I needed was the card, then I could present my theory to Kirisawa and figure out where to go from there. However, much to my frustration, only one was assigned to go through the clustered bedroom. Tennoji read me like a book and kept an eye on me. He must have noticed my frustration, but he stayed silent, knowing that he couldn't really say anything that would calm my nerves. All we could do was waiting for him to finish.

It took an hour before we were allowed to enter the room. I nearly flew inside and quickly approached the roses, which looked rather depressing at this point. Tennoji followed me. I quickly glanced at him, noticing the slight change in his expression. I couldn't quite tell what it was, but he looked somewhat nervous.

I sped down as I approached the flowers, nearly afraid to touch them, and I held my breath. My eyes scanned the bouquet, searching for a little envelope or a simple card, but it came up empty. I glanced around the room quickly as my pulse began to drum in my ears. It had to be here.

''Sorry, can I borrow a pair of gloves?'' I asked the man who was about to leave the room and he quickly handed me a pair of rubber gloves before leaving. ''Thanks.''

I went around the room, trying to imagine where she possibly could have put it. Considering how clustered the room was, it wasn't exactly an easy task. I checked the bulletin board, looking beneath receipts, old birthday cards, handouts from meetings and printed emails, but there was no card. My attention switched to the desk, checking the calendar again, looking through piles of paperwork and in the drawers. Again, my search came up empty.

''Please, please, please…'' I muttered beneath my breath as I continued my search, well knowingly that Tennoji was watching my gradually frantic movements.

My pulse drummed in my ears as I looked around, even going through the piles of clothes. I desperately needed that to find that piece of paper but no matter where I looked, I found nothing. I was about to give up when I noticed the trashcan. I grabbed it as quickly as I could and swiftly looked through the content.

''It's not here.'' I breathed before looking through it again. ''It's not here.''

''Wood…''

''No…'' I murmured before looking around again. ''It has to be here.''

''Wood.'' Tennoji raised his voice before approaching me, but I didn't react to it.

''No. No… It's here. I know it's here.'' I was about to turn around, but the sudden grip around my arm prevented me from it.

''Outside. Now.''

''No, I just need-''

''Now.'' His tone was sharp and his eyes bore into mine.

We stared at each other for a moment before I realized what was happening. I shook free from his grip and stormed out of the room, pushing past people in the hallway before reaching the outside. I took a deep breath as I hid behind the car and ran a hand through my hair. A pair of footsteps approached me and I closed my eyes, waiting for some stupid comment about my behavior.

''Let's get back to the station. The results from yesterday should be done soon.'' His tone was back to normal although it was slightly strained.

He went back to his side of the car while I let out a breath I had been holding. The car door opened and I straightened my shoulders and followed him inside. I had lost my grip for a moment, but it was enough to be utterly embarrassing. In truth, there where no one I wanted to impress more than Tennoji, and considering what he had just seen, it wasn't going great.

I couldn't look at him as I slumped into the passenger seat and I kept my eyes focused on whatever was outside the window as he started the car. Oh god, I was acting so childish and I rolled my eyes at my own behavior.

''Listen,'' I started and took a deep breath, ''I fucked up, I know that, so let's never talk about this again.'' I spoke quickly but still kept my eyes away from his direction.

''It's fine, we all go crazy about something… at least you left without causing a scene.'' He mumbled and we both fell silent.

Neither of us said a word as we drove back to the station and we only exchanged a few words before I went back to the office and he went to get some food. Much to my relief, the office was empty except for Hanai, but he was immersed in his paperwork, and sure enough, a brown envelope was waiting for me on my desk. Hanai looked up and acknowledged my presence as I walked to my desk and sat down. I nodded at him before beginning to work.

By the time Tennoji returned, happily munching on a sandwich and carrying a brown paper bag and a coffee, it was clear that we had absolutely no new leads in the case. I groaned in dismay and began rubbing my temples when Tennoji sat down on his usual spot on my desk, glancing at the papers before taking another bite. He placed the coffee before me and flipped through a few of the pages.

''Looks like we got squat…'' he basically summed up what I had I just spent on hour working on. All while casually eating a sandwich.

''Your observation skills lack nothing.'' I huffed and leaned back in my chair. ''There's no fingerprints, no trace of the killer on the victim, no footprints or tire prints. We have no witnesses or suspects.'' I spoke as I flipped through some of the scattered photographs and papers on my desk. ''We have no leads.''

''We have to wait for the results from the Ayane house,'' He spoke as he stood up and went to his desk. ''It fucking sucks, but at this point, we can't do much else than wait.'' He hummed and sat down.

''Yeah…'' I sighed and looked back at my messy desk, noticing the coffee. ''Hey, you left your coffee.''

''Nah, I thought you could use some.''

I stared at him in disbelief and a small smile found its way to my lips.

''Thank you.'' I smiled.

He hummed something as a reply before looking through some other case files on his desk. I took a sip, taking a moment to appreciate the dark taste and the fact that he had bought it for me. Then, I went back to looking through the files, there had to be something.

However, after another hour of looking through everything for what felt like the third time, I was none the wiser. I hated cases like this. Getting nowhere and having nothing to do besides waiting left me restless. As if things couldn't get worse, Kirisawa called me into his office.

''How's the case?'' He went straight to the point as soon as I had closed the door.

''It's… not progressing at the moment, sir. We have the results from the crime scene, but there's nothing to go on. No fingerprints or anything that we could use to identify the suspect with and we've found no witnesses.'' I explained and couldn't quite hide my frustration. ''I found the restaurant they might have met at, but none of their workers remember seeing them there and there're no security cameras. As things are now, we can't proceed before we get the results from the victims house.''

''This case could turn cold if we don't find anything.'' He hummed and seemed lost in thought for a moment.

Then his phone rang.

I stayed quiet as he answered it and simply watched as his expression suddenly changed. I could tell that something was wrong, but it could be about any case our division was currently handling. He said little, presumably because he received information and had nothing to give in return.

''Yes, I understand. I'll send the assigned detectives right away.'' He spoke before hanging up and his eyes returned to me. ''There's been another murder and it looks like it could be the same suspect.'' His tone was grave.

Serial killers were often difficult to handle and a hard thing to control compared to other crimes, especially when we knew little about the suspect. Nevertheless, it was news that could either help my case or only make it worse, depending on if the suspect was the same and if he had made a mistake. I was rooting for both scenarios.

''Where?''

''A couple of blocks away from yesterday's scene. I'll send you a message with the address, go out and get ready.''

I nodded and turned around, already halfway out the door when he addressed me again.

''Bring Tennoji with you.''

''Of course.''

 _Spin around, round, round me  
Collide without a sound  
Caught up in your gravity  
I don't know how  
Run away, way, way from me  
The spirit only I can see  
I need you now 'cause I don't know how  
I don't know what, what  
I was afraid of, I was afraid of _– Sara Hartman

The scene we arrived at was strikingly similar to the one we had seen yesterday. Another abandoned building, this time a warehouse, and another young woman left dead on the concrete floor. The difference was that she had not been dead for more than a few hours. Rigor mortis had not yet affected the limbs, suggesting that she died somewhere between two to six hours ago. Bluish marks had begun to show on her throat and it certainly suggested that she had been strangled as well. Her getup was similar; a pretty dress, high heels but no purse. Yet, there was something off about her clothing.

''Tennoji.'' I called him over as I stared at the body and frowned.

''Yo.'' He spoke as he appeared next to me.

''Look at her dress.''

''What about it?''

I kneeled down and grabbed a pair of gloves from the kit next to me.

''It's too loose…'' I hummed and touched the fabric carefully.

''Maybe it's just too big for her.'' He watched me as I shook my head.

''No, I think it's unzipped… excuse me!'' I looked up at got the attention of the mortician and a technician who were engaged in conversation. I noticed that it was the same technician that Tennoji had spoken to yesterday. ''Are you done taking pictures? I want to turn her.''

''Yeah, go ahead.'' The technician nodded.

''Alright, give me a hand.'' I grabbed another pair of gloves and handed them to Tennoji when he joined me on his knees.

He didn't question it and helped me turn her, keeping her on her side as we looked. Sure enough, the zipper was open, which explained why it had looked loose on her, but it was what was underneath the dress that made a chill run down my spine.

''Cutmarks…'' He spoke beneath his breath as we both stared at what looked like a chaotic pattern of shallow lines in her skin.

''This is…'' I murmured and lifted the side of the dress, revealing how her whole back had been turned into a map of cuts.

''Hey! You might want to take some pictures of this.'' Tennoji called out, quickly resulting in every technician in the place looking in his direction.

The cuts were shallow enough so she wouldn't bleed too much, but considering how many of them there was, it would have been painful. The cuts were long and straight, looking as if the suspect took his time carving them into her skin. I had to swallow before I could get myself to look away.

This changed things…

''Maybe…'' I spoke but had to take a breath as the technicians and the mortician approached us, taking over. We moved away, allowing them to work. ''Tennoji, if this is the same suspect, maybe he's been torturing her all night, not killing her until a couple of hours ago.'' I glanced up at him.

''We can't be sure that it's the same culprit. At least we have an eyewitness this time. He should be back at the station by now.''

''I'll head back and question him and check if we have any missing person's report that matches the victim. I want you to stay here and learn more about the crime scene.''

''Yeah, sure.''

''Good, call me if there's anything. I'll see you back at the station.''

I left him the technicians and took a cab back to the station. I went straight to our supposed eyewitness, but despite getting my hopes up, the description he gave me was close to useless. He had only caught a glimpse of the suspect, so the only information he could give was, that the suspect was a man and had been wearing a black jacket and jeans. Given the strength it took to strangle a person using only one's hands, we had already assumed that the suspect was presumably a man. The man must have seen the disappointment on my face and apologized that he couldn't provide more information.

In all likeliness, we were back to being stuck.

I was mentally exhausted by the time I got back to the office and Tennoji walked in just as I had sat down. His expression told me everything I needed to know as he went straight to his desk. Given the look on his face, I stayed silent as I knew that neither of us had any new information and he looked agitated. I gave him a moment before I turned in my chair, intending to update him on the current status, but my glance moved to the door as the rest of the team walked in.

At least they were in high spirits. Each of them had either just finished a case or made some important progress and as much I didn't mind hearing their chatter, Tennoji's mood only worsened. I prayed that Hanai wouldn't use the situation to start the usual bickering with Tennoji. I wasn't sure how it would go and I kept glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. Much to my relief, they all focused on finishing their paperwork so they could head home.

During the next hour, everyone except Tennoji and I went home, Hanai being the last of them leaving at seven o'clock. I exhaled and leaned back in my chair when they were all gone. Tennoji got up just as I was about to talk to him, so I kept my mouth shut as he left the room, leaving me in the empty office.

It was suddenly weird to be there all alone, but I busied myself with checking the database for any new missing persons' reports but nothing had changed since I visited the office earlier. I glanced at the closed door before standing up, deciding that coffee would probably be a good idea at this point.

Just then, the door opened.

I expected to see Tennoji walk back in and I unknowingly smiled as I turned to look, surprised when I saw someone else. The man seemed surprised to see me as well, but his demeanor didn't change while I recognized him. It was the technician from earlier and I spotted the envelope in his hand.

''Oh, that was quick.'' I smiled politely as I approached him.

''Well, there wasn't much to work with.'' He confessed and smiled when he saw my disappointment. ''Don't worry, I'm sure you'll catch the guy.''

''I sure hope so.'' I sighed deeply and accepted the envelope from him.

''Don't work too late, miss.'' He smiled and I watched him as he left.

Not a second later, Tennoji appeared from the opposite end of the hallway and entered the room with a slightly more relaxed expression. His eyes fell on the envelope in my hands and my glance found the two cups of coffee he had in his.

''Oh.'' We exclaimed a similar sound simultaneously and I let out a short laugh.

''You just missed the guy who brought it.'' I smiled as I sat back down at my desk. ''But considering what he said, there's probably nothing useful.'' I grimaced.

''Would explain why they finished it so quickly.'' He spoke, suddenly sounding tired rather than annoyed, and approached my desk.

I nearly waited for him to sit down and was somewhat surprised when he only sat down one of the cups before moving to his own desk.

''This is the second time you've bought me a coffee today. What's the occasion?'' I smiled before taking a sip.

''Eiki complained that there wasn't anymore in the break room and I didn't want to wake the dragon.'' He grinned at his own joke and glanced at me.

''I… really can't argue against that.'' I laughed softly. ''Either way, thank you.'' I smiled and watched as his grin turned into a small smile instead.

''No problem.''

It pulled all of my heartstrings and I felt heat creep into my cheeks, prompting me to turn away. I took a deep breath before opening the envelope and examining the papers inside. Just like the previous case, there wasn't much information.

''Well,'' I sighed and let the papers fall down, ''it's the same again, no fingerprints, no clues or leads, just nothing.''

''There wasn't anything special about the crime scene either. The door was supposed to be locked but apparently, some teenagers found another way in and unlocked the door. They used it as a hangout place or something, so their fingerprints are all over the place, but they all have alibies that check out.''

''There hasn't been filed a missing person report that matches out victim and the autopsy is postponed until tomorrow morning.''

A small silence followed my last sentence and a moment passed before either of us knew what to say.

''Right now, we have nothing.'' Tennoji mumbled what we were both thinking.

I stared helplessly at the pile of papers and photographs on my desk.

''At this point, we might as well go home.'' I sighed and looked at him.

''Well, we're not getting any shit done when we have no leads.'' He exhaled heavily and stood up, grabbing his jacket from the back of the chair. ''I'll give you a ride.''

''It's alright, I can catch the last train.'' I smiled and stood as well. ''But thanks.''

''Wood.'' He turned and looked at me as he fixed the collar of his jacket. ''I'm offering you a ride home, don't make me do it twice.'' He smiled, but it was a smile I rarely saw.

As I felt a familiar heat appear on my cheeks, all I could do was nod while I was momentarily captivated by his smile. He was making it hard to ignore that silly crush…


	3. Chapter 3

_I'm feeling something, something different  
When you left, the picture changed  
I was blinded, I'm not envisioned  
The same face in a different frame_ – Disclosure & Sam Smith

It had been a while since I had slept that poorly.

It was the first time that I had faced a case that seemed so impossible to solve, and it was frustrating me to no end. I had no idea what to do, and all I could do was to wait for results - hopefully good ones - and hope that the killer didn't continue his murdering spree. However, I didn't quite believe that he would stop when he had killed two so quickly, and it was only fueling my frustration and anger. At least, I knew Tennoji was feeling the same, if not more, and knowing that I wasn't alone with it helped a tiny bit.

Nevertheless, the last thing I needed was for someone to comment on it.

The rest of the squad could clearly see how frustrated we were, so no one said anything. The autopsy told us nothing new, and no one had reported her missing. That left us with a Jane Doe. To make it all a little worse, my own coffee machine had died on me that morning, and the stock we usually had in the breakroom had been depleted.

The craving for caffeine had forced me a floor up to find the only other source of coffee we had. It was made in a vending machine and tasted horrible, but it was better than nothing. Despite the craving, I was still dreading the taste as I punched in the number and threw in the coins it told me on the screen. A cup fell into the holder, and the machine started making noise.

''Oooh, look who we have here.''

''It's another detective from the 2nd unit.''

I turned my head and found the obnoxious trio from the 1st unit looking at me with arrogant smiles on all their faces. I immediately felt my pulse quicken, and I held my tongue as they approached me, nearly forming a circle around me.

Seeing as I normally could just barely manage to contain myself around them, I wasn't exactly keen on seeing them.

''Sounds like she's got nothing to say,'' Sonada smiled at me, his eyes hidden behind his glasses.

''She knows it's the truth, why argue?'' Tokuda chuckled, and Uruta joined him.

''You've really got nothing better to do?'' I grumbled and rolled my eyes at them.

''We're taking a break from actually doing our jobs. As far as I've heard, you, little Miss Wood, can't even capture a single killer.'' Sonada spoke up, and I felt my blood beginning to boil.

''I've heard about your lack of skills as well. You definitively fit into the second unit, I've got to agree.''

''They should have given us the case. We would have arrested the guy before he killed that girl yesterday.''

''Let's see how many more people he gets to kill before they transfer the case to us.''

''There's no evidence, you couldn't possibly-'' I raised my voice but abruptly stopped when all three started laughing at me.

''Oh please, don't compare yourself to us.'' Tokuda leaned closer to me, and I glared angrily at him. ''You're just incompetent, Wood.''

Anger flared up inside me, and I felt as if I was about to blow up. I wanted to yell at them as loud as I could, vent some of my frustration that had me so angry, but I bit my tongue. I pushed past them instead, showing my shoulders into Tokuda and Sonada so I could leave the center of their little circle of hell, and went straight for the doors to the stairwell. I heard them calling out behind me, taunting me, but I kept going and headed up the stairs towards the roof. It wasn't a place I had visited a lot, but I needed the space. And I needed the air. Most of all, I needed the isolation for a moment.

I had to stop myself from throwing the door open, but I was breathing quickly by the time I felt the fresh air against my face and wanted to scream my lungs out.

''I am not incompetent!'' I groaned furiously and threw a punch behind me, aiming for the door, but something caught my wrist before my first slammed into anything.

''Wood, what the hell!'' Tennoji nearly yelled as he held my wrist.

''I'm not a poor detective!'' I yelled and tried to shake my arm free from his grip, completely ignoring his actual presence.

''Hey-!''

''It's not my fucking fault that they died!'' I continued, unable to stop now that I had begun. ''Wood-''

''I'm better than them!''

''Oh for fuck sake.'' He groaned before yanking me towards him and against his chest.

His arm moved around me as I struggled, but with the grip he had around my wrist and because of how tight he held me, I couldn't possibly get free. It didn't stop me from trying, though.

''Would you calm the fuck down?'' He groaned as he struggled to keep his grip on me.

''No! If it was just the same guy as before, then our failure could be excused by the fact that a whole unit couldn't catch him back then! If it had just been the same, then I wouldn't look like a total screw-up and incompetent! If-if…'' I ran out of air as I yelled, gradually calming down as I filled my lungs with air.

''You know all of that is bullshit.''

''I… I don't know what to do.'' My voice shook while I ducked my head down, making sure that he couldn't see my face. ''I don't know what I'm supposed to do. This is my first murder case in this division. It's supposed to be my specialty, yet I'm stuck with no leads whatsoever and two bodies with no suspect.'' My anger turned into frustration, and I suddenly felt overwhelmed by the situation.

''Quit making it sound like you're alone in this, you idiot.'' He sighed, and somehow making it sound angry.

''Kirisawa put me in charge, I can't help but feel responsible.'' I mumbled.

I felt as he loosed his grip around my wrist.

It was then I suddenly realized what exactly was happening. Instantly, heat rushed to my cheeks, and I felt my mouth dry up as I simply let the man I was crushing on quite badly embrace me on a rooftop.

''You're a fucking idiot.''

''Yeah, I probably am.'' I agreed with him and exhaled heavily.

''Are you done with your outburst?''

''Yes…'' I mumbled, suddenly embarrassed because of the way I acted. ''Sorry.''

Much to my dismay, he withdrew from me, and for a moment, neither of us could look at the other.

He cleared his throat before speaking. ''It's fine, as long as you don't throw a punch at me again.'' He smiled, and we both dared to look at each other again.

''To be fair, I didn't know you were behind me.''

''You never know who's behind you.'' He smiled at me before beginning to walk towards the door.

''Uh-huh, that sentence won't haunt me forever, I promise you.'' I sighed with a small smile and followed him.

''You're welcome… Come on, I'm starving for some lunch.'' He gestured for me to hurry up while he held the door open for me, and I quickly passed him.

''I swear, you're always thinking about food.'' I chuckled. ''Really, somewhere in the back of our mind, the thought of food is ever present.''

''Keep talking about food and you're gonna have to treat me to something.'' He grinned as he followed me down the stairs.

As much as I didn't want to acknowledge it, I knew I was falling faster and harder for him.

I just hoped that it wouldn't complicate things.

 _Uh-oh, dancin' past the point of no return  
Let go, we can free ourselves of all we've learned  
I love this secret language that we're speaking  
Say it to me, let's embrace the point of no return  
Let's embrace the point of no return  
Let's embrace the point of no return_ – Disclosure feat. Lorde

''I swear, when you eat you turn into one of the most unflattering people I've ever met.'' I laughed as I watched him wolf his food down.

He was leaning down, being as close as he could to the plate without it seeming absurd, and was eating as if someone was going to take it away from him if he didn't finish it quickly enough.

''So, what you're saying is,'' he swallowed, ''you find me flattering when I'm not eating.'' He grinned at me, and I rolled my eyes at him.

''Saying you're flattering is aiming a bit high. You're…'' My finger pointed at him and went in a circle as I searched for words. ''You're… _something_.''

My answer was clearly not amusing to him, and he frowned as if I just taken his food from him.

''As if you're one to speak.'' He grumbled before retuning his attention to his plate.

''Please, I'm cute.'' I scoffed and used my hand to flip my curls behind my shoulder.

''How long did you practice that move?'' He snickered, and it was my turn to frown.

''Shut up.'' I mumbled and took a sip of my coffee as I glanced away.

''Hey.'' I looked at him again, and I was surprised by the sudden seriousness on his face. ''Be honest with me here. Do you still think it's the same guy?''

I stared at him, obviously hesitating whether I would tell him the truth or simply lie. I took a moment to consider the situation and eventually let out a brief sigh.

''I believe…'' I took a deep breath before continuing. ''I believe that it's an apprentice,'' I admitted. ''According to the files and the reports, the first guy never tortured or cut them like we saw today… but everything else just seems… I don't know, it fits too well.''

''There's still no proof, though.''

''Yeah, I know that… it's just,'' I paused and looked up at him. ''I have this gut feeling that tells me that they're somehow related. I know there's no evidence, and I'm not going to go crazy over this, but my instincts are just disagreeing with the facts.'' I sighed, obviously frustrated by it.

''Is that why you went insane on the roof?'' He asked and glanced at me, his usual grin lacking.

''I didn't-'' I was about to argue, but I felt the pent up anger deflate when I considered the situation. ''Wait, why were you on the roof in the first place?'' I looked at him with a puzzled expression.

''I saw you storming up the stairs… still don't know what made you run off like that.'' He spoke, trying to sound uninterested, but it came out halfhearted. ''Thought I'd stop you from doing any dumb shit, but I would have stayed away if I'd known that you'd try to punch me.''

''I told you, I didn't know you were there…'' I grumbled and watched as a grin tugged on the corners of his mouth. ''But thanks…''

''Yeah well, why did you race up there?''

''The trio ambushed me at the coffee machine… they just circled around me and kept saying all this shit about how poor I was doing my job. I just… just blew up… but I didn't want to give them the satisfaction of watching me snap.'' I explained before glancing away and mumbling to myself. ''God, for a moment, it felt like I was back in school…''

''Back in school? I like where this is going.'' He smirked at me, the promise of a story obviously had his interest piqued.

''It's… it wasn't, like, _bad_ … I was just a bit nerdy, so…'' My voice trailed off as I noticed the growing smile on his face, and I frowned at him. ''Fuck you, it's not funny.''

''Jesus man, little Wood being all nerdy, I can just imagine it.'' He finally laughed, and I glared at him before looking away.

''Seriously, fuck you, Tennoji. Why did I even tell you?'' I grumbled and kept my eyes off him.

''Sharing is caring.''

''Yeah well, you're a piece of shit.''

''Oh come on, you're going to get all pissy about it? You said it yourself, it wasn't that bad.'' He subdued his laughter to a low chuckle before managing to shut up completely.

''Well, it was…'' I unknowingly pouted.

''Aw shit, what, like, you didn't get invited to amusement parks with the rest of the class?'' He couldn't stop himself from grinning, but it gradually disappeared when I stayed silent.

I kept looking away from him when he suddenly stood, effectively regaining my attention. ''Alright, let's go.'' He spoke as he tossed a few bills on the table before beginning to leave.

''What? Go where?'' I asked as I quickly followed him, rather confused by the sudden change in the conversation.

''To the west bay. I can't work with someone who's never been to an amusement park in high school.'' He spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and I suddenly had trouble keeping up with him due to my surprise.

''I-that's-never mind that! We're on the clock!'' I reminded him, suddenly flustered by his idea and the thought of going somewhere with him.

''Oh fuck, I forgot all about that.'' He grimaced shortly and slowed down, making it easier for me to catch up. ''Right… We have to fix that mistake later then.''

''Let's just get back to the station.'' I cleared my throat and approached the car, struggling with the heat I could feel lingering in my cheeks.

The car ride back to the station was… interesting. I had no idea what to say. I was pretty preoccupied with the thought of going to an amusement park with him, but luckily for me, he didn't seem to notice my vague answers in our mostly one-sided conversation. Awkward or not, it wasn't like we were in a hurry to get back to the station. Once we arrived, it was clear that nothing interesting had happened while we had been gone.

The case remained cold, and while lunch had been a nice little break from the depressing case, we knew we had to keep trying. Neither of us was very happy about the idea, but we spent the rest of the day looking through everything again, talking to the suspect we could get a hold of and going back to both crime scenes to see if we could find any new witnesses. As each hour passed, it became more evident that the case would remain without any leads. At least until the last victim was identified.

It was with a sense of defeat that we reentered the mostly empty office once it had gotten dark outside. Hanai and Eiki were the only ones present (while Kirisawa had the door closed to his office, presumably battling a fierce stack of paperwork and reports), and they both noticed the frustration we brought inside the room with our arrival.

''Judging by the look on your face, you didn't find anything.'' Eiki followed me to my desk and watched as I slumped down in my chair with a groan.

''There's nothing. We've talked to so many people, we've looked everything over five times, but we've learned nothing from it. All we can do is literally wait around for an I.D. on the victim, which could take… years!'' I threw my hands up in the air to emphasize how angry I was with the lack of development.

''There's still no missing person's report that matches her?''

''No, and considering her age, I don't understand it. She's been gone for two days now, and no one's noticed. The coroner said she was somewhere in her early twenties. It strikes me as odd that no one is missing her.'' I sighed and ran a hand through my curly hair.

''I'm pretty relieved that Kirisawa didn't assign me to the case.'' Eiki chuckled.

''I've never been stuck with an investigation like this.'' I sighed and glanced at the clock. ''It's already seven.''

''Yeah, I'm not sticking around for much longer. I hope something useful shows up.'' He smiled at me before moving back to his own desk.

''Thanks.'' I hummed and watched as he got ready to leave, closely followed by Hanai.

Thirty minutes later, Kirisawa went home as well, and we were left alone in the office.

I leaned back in my chair so I could stretch before glancing at Tennoji, trying to see what the redhead was occupying himself with. He had the case files open on his desk, staring blindly at the different photographs from the crime scenes. I exhaled shortly before speaking up.

''It's a long shot, but maybe we should look through the missing persons system manually. Both recent reports and older ones, just in case.'' He nodded in silence, not looking up from the photographs. "Alright. I'm getting some coffee first, do you want some?'' He shook his head and I shrugged.

The station was mostly empty at this point. The light in the hallways were always on, but the quiet offices were dark, and only a few detectives and technicians had not gone home yet. Honestly, seeing how the place was usually filled with people, I couldn't help but find it creepy when I was walking around alone in the empty place. To some extent, the creepiness was what made me move quickly, not interested in being alone in the place for any longer than necessary. Despite how I felt, the coffee machine had decided to take forever to spit out the dark liquid.

A chill ran down my spine as I stood and waited.

''Oh, miss Wood. Working late again?''

I jumped when I heard a nearby voice, and my glance shot in the direction.

The technician from yesterday stood there, smiling at me, and I let out a breath I wasn't aware that I had been holding.

''You startled me.'' I smiled in relief and shrugged. ''Well, we're a bit stuck but we can't just sit around and wait.''

''Still no I.D. on the girl?''

''No. At least there have been no new victims… at least that we know of.'' I sighed and glanced at the machine when it was finally done. ''I need to get back.'' I smiled politely and watched as he did the same.

''Of course. Don't overwork yourself.'' He smiled, and I kept smiling before turning around and walking away.

I heard as he entered an office behind me as I made my way back to the one I belonged to. For a moment, I wondered how long he was going to keep working, but he quickly left my thoughts as I reentered the office and glanced at Tennoji. His desk was as chaotic looking as when I had left, but considering how things were, I decided not to comment on it. For once, I could live without the usual comments between us.

Moving back to my desk, I took a sip of coffee while wiggling the mouse, bringing the computer to life. I accessed the relevant system and took a deep breath.

''You want old or new?''

''How old?''

''Two years?''

''I can work with that.'' He murmured.

''Okay… uh, by the way, I was wondering-''

''I'll give you a ride home, don't worry about It.'' he spoke without looking away from the screen and I watched him in slight surprise.

''Oh, um, thanks.'' I smiled, and he glanced at me for a second or two.

He didn't say a word, and for a moment, I considered the option that he might be mad at me, but when I couldn't find a reason for it, I dropped the thought. I focused on work instead of worrying about the redhead and began the search for the needle in the haystack. For the next hour and a half, the only sounds were those of the computer.

The search was honestly rather depressing. The 'new' cases went back a year, and a large majority of the missing people had never been found. I knew it was even worse when looking at the older cases, and I was somewhat relieved that he had taken those and left me the newer ones. To make it worse, by the time we were both done, neither of us had found anything useful.

''I give up on this case.'' I sighed as I covered my face with my hands and fell back in my chair. ''And this was immensely depressing to look at.''

''You expected it to be fun?'' He asked with a sigh, seemingly in the same mood as me.

''You know what I mean… it's the same with Jane Doe.'' I spoke as I looked at him, my mood brightening a tiny bit when he looked at me.

''What do you mean?''

''Well, she was so young, but she's been dead for two days, and no one's reported her missing. Imagine dying and having no one noticing that you're gone,'' I explained, and his expression shifted.

''Fucking hell, now you're making me sad.'' He huffed and stood up. ''Come on. I think we've been here enough for today.''

''Yeah…'' I murmured and glanced at the computer screen again, seeing all the open cases. ''I hope someone misses her soon,'' I spoke as my eyes ran over all the names.

''Jesus, Wood, you look like you're about to cry.'' He smiled as he passed me, nudging my shoulder with his hand. ''Let's hope someone reports her missing tomorrow. For now, we can't do shit.''

''I know, I know…'' I sighed and stood up as well, following him. ''Thanks again.''

''For what?''

''For driving me home. I know you don't exactly live in the same direction so-''

''We're partners, right?'' he interrupted me and looked at me, a soft smile making my heart jump.

''Even so, I appreciate it. Partners or not, it means a lot to me.'' I smiled, and he turned his head, suddenly looking bashful.

''Fuck man, you're making me blush. I get it, shut up about it.'' He groaned and took a few quick steps, putting a little distance between us.

I smiled to myself as I watched his broad back in front of me.

What an idiot I was falling for.


	4. Chapter 4

_Is there anybody out there waiting for me on my way?  
If that somebody is you, then baby, I just wanna say  
Tonight, nothing will bring us down  
Tonight, we're at the lost and found_

 _Guess I need to run, take me to the bus  
But don't let me go, no, don't let me on  
Gotta hold me tight, won't put up a fight  
Of course I'll stay, I'll stay the night – Ellie Goulding_

It took another two days before we finally got a report about a missing woman. Despite the sad circumstances, we were relieved to finally have found out, who our Jane Doe was.

It was Thursday afternoon and we had stayed busy discussing different theories, eventually concluding that the killer apparently preferred working on the weekends. The first victim had been killed Saturday night and the second in the early hours of Monday morning, meaning that the suspect had been keeping her alive for some time since he had taken his time to cut up her back.

Nevertheless, our theories didn't help much when we had no proof.  
We got the call about a possible I.D at eleven and we were both anxious waiting for any news. Time had never felt slower and by the time my cell phone finally rang about the results, four hours had passed, giving Tennoji plenty of time to curse and complain about the technicians incompetence and nearly picking a fight with Hanai three times. Nevertheless, it was progress that we desperately needed and we left the station immediately.

''Any details about the report?'' He asked as he glanced at the GPS, checking the route.

''Twenty-three-year-old Takenaka Haruko. She's a college student and lives alone. Apparently, it was one of her professors who reported her missing.'' I spoke while looking at the report on my phone.

''A professor, really?''

''She kept to herself so no one really noticed that she was missing besides him.'' I sighed and glanced out the window. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl.

''Right… Any technicians?''

''No, they'll process her room later. They have their hands full with another crime scene, but you know the drill, gloves and all that.''

He nodded and we turned a corner, approaching a tall, gray building that consisted of cheap apartments in the outskirts of the center of the city. It was mainly inhabited by students and many of them knew it as '' the prison'' because all the rooms looked the same. Looking at it, it definitely didn't make me miss the academy days and I suddenly felt old when looking at old the students, despite only being twenty-five.

He parked the car in the parking lot, and despite wearing civilian clothes, everyone seemed to notice us. It wasn't like we weren't used to being looked at by the public, but it still surprised me to see how many had an interest in our presence. Tennoji didn't seem to be bothered by it, or maybe he didn't notice, but he quickly collected the bag from the trunk and began walking. I followed him closely and under the watchful eye of nearly everyone present, we made our way up to the sixth floor and found the apartment that was rented by Takenaka.

A janitor had been waiting for us and let us in without questions. I didn't even get a chance to thank him before he was already walking away and the door closed behind us. Tennoji didn't waste any time and set the bag down so he could open it. He unpacked the plastic gloves and gave me a pair before putting some on his own hands.

''Right, let's look around.'' I hummed.

The apartment was slightly bigger than I had expected. The room we were in both functioned as a kitchen, dining room and living room in one cramped room. Two doors on the left wall lead into what I assumed were a small bedroom and a tiny bathroom. The apartment looked clean, perhaps a bit cluttered with books, but it looked like what you expected of a female student who kept to herself and prioritized her study.

We glanced at each other before beginning with the room we were in, checking the papers and books on her desk and looking at anything that could be useful. It quickly seemed evident that we probably wouldn't find anything interesting. Feeling a bit disappointed, I found her calendar and a notebook in the drawer in her desk while Tennoji checked the bathroom. I flipped through the pages in the notebook, but I quickly lost interest when it was just scribbles from a literature class, and my attention went to the calendar. It was mostly empty and the few entries in it were notes about projects and when they were due.

I let out of huff as I put it back in the drawer and looked around. Spotting a few pictures and small pieces of paper held by magnets on the fridge, I moved to the kitchen. They all looked old, probably from the first year in high school and they were all staged photos, like class photos and one of a swimming team. Other than that, there was a postcard, a few receipts, bills and one envelope.  
I didn't pay much attention to what Tennoji was doing, but I heard the door open to the bedroom. I didn't notice the lack of footsteps as I was busy looking at the envelope, but before I could open it, Tennoji's voice caught my attention.

''Wood.''

''What?'' I asked as I turned the envelope around. It only had her full name on the front and nothing else, so it hadn't been mailed.

''Look.''

I turned around, glancing at him with a questioning look. His eyes met mine before they moved, looking at something inside the room, and my glance followed his. I nearly dropped the envelope in my hand and I felt my mouth go dry. Moving closer to him, my glance flickered between him and the bouquet of white roses and I was momentarily at a loss for words. He looked at me, his expression grave and his eyes serious, and I looked at him, uncertain how to react.

''I don't see a card.'' He spoke quietly and glanced at the flowers again.

It was then that I remembered the envelope.

Oh God, I had to control myself so I didn't just rip potential evidence apart as I opened the envelope with shaking fingers. I took a quick breath as I saw the card and I quickly opened it. Date, location, time, they were all there.

''I'm thinking of you.'' I read out loud and everything seemed to come to a halt.

A sudden realization followed the discovery. While it meant that we could use different methods to solve the case, it also meant that a notorious serial killer had resurfaced, who had begun torturing his victims before killing them, or he had an apprentice. Neither if those two possibilities were good and I suddenly felt overwhelmed by the fact, that this was now a reality and not a dumb theory.  
''Tennoji-'' I looked up at him, finding his eyes fixated on the card in my hands.

''I know.'' He cut me off before looking away, seemingly having made the same realization as I.

''I need the case file…'' I spoke, reading the card again.

It was unrealistic to be standing with a part of a signature that belonged to a serial killer I had been dreaming of catching for three years. I wasn't quite sure how to feel, but at least I knew somewhat who we had to deal with. If it was an apprentice, they seemed to have followed his teachings quite thoroughly, but in multiple ways, that only made it worse.

''We need the rest of the squad for this.'' I looked up at him again, meeting his eyes.

''If we get the case file, can you present it to Kirisawa right away?''

I nodded and from the look in his eyes, I knew that he trusted me.

''Alright, let's go get it.''

 _It's so simple but we can't stay  
Overanalyze again  
Would it really kill you if we kissed?_

 _All we do is drive  
All we do is think about the feelings that we hide  
All we do is sit in silence waiting for a sign  
Sick and full of pride  
All we do is drive – Halsey_

I've never gotten from the parking garage to the office quicker than I did right then. Tennoji was right behind me as we both stormed into the office, heading straight to Kirisawa's door. The whole squad was present and I felt them all looking at us, but I didn't have any room in my head for them.  
Despite the door being open, I still knocked and waited for the chief to look up from his paperwork while I was trying to get my breathing under control. He scribbled down a word or two before glancing up, finding us breathing quickly and with a bunch of case files and photographs in my arms.

''I take it something interesting happened?'' He asked as he gestured us to come inside.

I didn't hesitate and walked right in, hearing Tennoji close the door behind us while I put down the three files on the desk. I was mindful of not getting them mixed up with the files already on his desk, but I needed the space to present the theory.

''The whole case just changed,'' Tennoji spoke and stayed a couple of steps behind me.

''How so?'' Kirisawa followed my hands, trying to see what I was doing with the files.

''Are you familiar with the serial killer they never caught back in 1990?'' I asked as I looked at him.

''The one who strangled seven women, yes.''

''I think it's the same suspect or possibly an apprentice.'' I spoke and watched as his expression turned serious.

''Explain why.''

I took a deep breath before I began.

Beginning with an explanation of the old case, I presented a timeline, photos of the victims and how the crime scenes were all basically the same. I moved on to explain what was known about the suspect; the profile that had been made, what he had revealed about himself in the letters, his signature and his preferred type of women. Kirisawa watched me with great interest and stayed quiet as I explained the old case. When I began going through what little there was in the new case, his eyes stayed on my hands as I found the relevant photographs from the files.

I moved on to comparing everything. How the women all seemed similar, what the crime scenes had in common and how the killing method was the same in all cases. Most importantly, I showed him the white roses and explained how that detail was only known by people who had been involved in the case. Of course, the envelope was partly what held the whole theory together, but it could be enough to consider it. Lastly, I mentioned the cut marks on the last victim's back, suggesting that that made it seem more likely that it was an apprentice, seeing as that had never been a part of the signature before. Nevertheless, signatures could change, so we couldn't rule out the fact that it would be the same suspect.

Tennoji remained silent but I felt his eyes on me as I presented the theory. Even when I had finished, he didn't say a word and we both waited for Kirisawa to tell us how to proceed. In the end, it didn't matter much what I thought if the chief didn't agree. I was nervous, especially because we didn't really have any other leads than this, but Kirisawa took his time thinking it through. Eventually, he let out a small huff and looked up at me.

''How do you want to proceed?''

His question momentarily stunned me. I wasn't prepared for it, but I knew what I wanted.

''If possible, I want the whole squad in on this case. Apprentice or not, this guy makes no mistakes and if we're hoping to catch him, we need everyone's help. Every detective here has a different skill set and we need them all to catch whoever did this.'' I didn't realize how determined I was looking at my supervisor but he didn't seem to disagree with my proposal.

''I want you to go home and make your presentation quicker so that you can present it to the rest of the division tomorrow morning. I'll make sure that everyone is free to help but I still expect you to lead this case.'' He spoke as he stood up.

I was convinced that he had never looked so serious while talking to me and I nodded quickly.

''Of course, Chief. I'll have it ready.'' I straightened my shoulders as he nodded at me.

''Good. Now, I know both of you've done some overtime while working this case, so I want you to go home now. It should give you some time to prepare the case and get some rest.'' His expression softened slightly.

''Sir-'' Tennoji spoke up behind me, but Kirisawa shook his head, making it clear that he wasn't about to change his mind.

''Just go home, Tennoji, or help Wood with preparing the case.'' He spoke as he sat back down, resuming his work.

I gathered the files and began leaving the room, gesturing Tennoji to following me. He didn't look too satisfied with the situation, but he complied with a sour expression on his face and followed me outside.

''Right.'' I sighed and looked at him. ''Lunch?''

My suggestion brought a smile to appear on his lips.

''Have I ever said no to food?''

''That's what I thought you would say,'' I smiled at him.

 _I'm trying not to let it show, that I don't want to let this go.  
Is there somewhere you can meet me?  
'Cause I clutched your arms like stairway railings.  
And you clutched my brain and eased my ailing.  
I'm sorry but I fell in love tonight.  
I didn't mean to fall in love tonight.  
You're looking like you fell in love tonight.  
Could we pretend that we're in love? – Halsey_

''So, how does it feel?''

I looked up from my bowl of noodles and found him looking at me. He had finished his portion and for a moment, I wondered how long he had been watching me eat, easily making me slightly embarrassed.

''What are you referring to?''

''Our suspect. You get to chase him officially, I thought you would be more ecstatic.''

''Two women died because of him or someone else, it's not like I'm twisted enough to be happy about it.'' I glanced at him. ''But… if I could choose who to catch, it would be him. Despite the circumstances, it's my chance to catch this guy.'' I admitted and watched as his expression softened.

''Get some revenge for your old Chief, huh?''

''It couldn't be revenge because it was another guy that shot him, you idiot.'' I snickered, causing him to frown. ''More like getting some closure… or something. I don't know, it's kind of hard to explain… but it would give me some satisfaction and finish something for the chief. Dedicate the arrest to him or something.''

''Oh god, you sound so noble.'' He grinned and I rolled my eyes.

''Oh totally, I'm getting a reward and everything.'' I laughed.

''You're getting half of the prescient and your own technicians to control?''

''And ten squad cars.''

''Maybe throw in a couple of detectives that bring you coffee whenever you ask for it.''

''Oh fuck me, that would be perfect.'' I continued while we both laughed quietly at our table.

''Yeah, figured you would like having your own lackeys.'' He grinned.

''As if you wouldn't! You'd constantly have one of them fetch food for you.''

''Fuck you, you make me sound like I do nothing besides eating.'' He tried to sound mad but he couldn't stop himself from smiling a little.

''I'm very impressed that you're not fat.'' I stifled my laughter the best I could but I didn't quite succeed.

''You wanna walk home from here?'' He asked as he leaned back, folding his arms across his chest and still sporting that small smile that made my heart speed up.

''Forgive me for my rude behavior,'' I smiled and he nodded accordingly.

''That's better.'' He smirked. ''By the way, you're missing an important part of the reward.''

''What?''

''Don't they always get someone to marry?'' He grinned.

''Who says I want to marry someone?''

''Well, you gotta, so pick someone.''

''From the squad? No thanks.'' I laughed.

''You're so fucking boring, just do it.''

''Well, uh…'' I looked down as I tried to decide who. Obviously, I couldn't pick him.

''Kyobashi could probably make you one of his girlfriends. He's missing one for Wednesday, as far as I know.'' He laughed when he saw my frown.

''Yeeaaah, not thanks…'' I sighed and glanced at him. ''I'd probably take chief.'' I hummed.

''Figures.'' He scoffed.

''What's that supposed to mean?'' I smiled at him, amused by his sudden mood change.

''Of course, you're going to pick the chief. It's just obvious.'' He frowned and looked away.

I rolled my eyes at his sudden, childish behavior, but I couldn't stop myself from smiling completely.

''Are you disappointed that I didn't pick you?'' I asked with a smirk while leaning in over the table, resting my chin in my palm. I watched as blood rushed to his cheeks, promptly coloring them red while my smirk only made him more flustered.

''What? No, don't be dumb, you idiot.'' He grumbled before looking at me. ''I'd have to look at you every day, I'm not up for such a horrible experience.''

''Oh, ouch.'' I laughed and feigned to pout when he glanced at me for a moment. ''Once you're done being childish, we should probably get the case prepared,'' I mentioned and he seemed to switch into work mode.

''Yeah, you're right.''

I finished the rest of my meal so we could leave. We each paid for our meal and left the small shop, heading for my apartment. He made it clear from the beginning that I was going to be the one presenting it, which suited me just fine. I knew everything about it and it would take a while to tell him everything. In the end, I basically just explained the case to him in the way that I was planning to do it the following morning. He stayed for another hour or two before leaving and I looked everything over again. It felt like I was going to an exam and by the time I was about to present the case the next morning, my nervousness had only intensified.

Of course, they were all interesting in knowing why their cases had been put on pause or given to someone else. The fact that they were all there only increased their interest, but at least it meant that they all stayed silent while I presented the case. Most of them had heard about the case or knew a few details, Eiki being the only one who didn't, and they all quickly seemed immersed in the case. When I explained them the detail about the flowers, Hanai suddenly spoke up.

''We should check with the different florists in the area. It's highly unlikely that you can buy white roses anywhere else.''

''I would also like to have a profiler look over the case again,'' I added and several of them nodded. ''Also-'' I began mentioning another point I wanted to cover, but I stopped abruptly when there was a knock at the door and then it opened.

''Uh, sorry for interrupting, but I have a delivery for someone named Wood?''  
Everyone looked towards the delivery guy standing in the doorway. Simultaneously, everyone's eyes focused on what he was holding. A moment later, they all turned in their chairs and every glance in the room suddenly focused on me. However, I didn't notice.

All I could focus on was simply staring at the bouquet of white roses with my name on it.


End file.
